Closure for flexible tubes



J. J. FRANK CLOSURE FOR FLEXIBLE TUBES Filed Dec. 20, 194'? INVENTOR.

Patented July 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE FOR FLEXIBLE TUBES Joseph J. Frank; Union, N. J assignor to Hercules Fasteners, Inc., a. corporation of New Jersey j Application December 20, 1947, Serial No. 792,907

. 6 Claims.

This invention relates to closures for flexible tubes.

The standard method of sealing the end of a tube such as a toothpaste tube, is to flatten and fold the end and keep it folded by bending a metal clip over it. The former standard method of. sealing artificial sausage casing was to collapse it and tie it with coarse string. This invention relates to the sealing of flexible tubes of all sorts, whether made of metal, paper, plastic, or any other flexible material, and regardless of the position of the seal on the tube, whether at its end or toward the middle.

It is an object of the invention to make a seal for flexible tubes that is capable of withstanding considerable internal and external pressure without breaking. In the prior art such seals were unsatisfatcory or were satisfactory only for a short time inasmuch as the sealing means acted to'weaken the casing.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a means for suspending such tubes so that all portions of the tube will be subjected to equal load. In the prior art that was not so, and all methods of suspension placed a slightly greater strain upon one portion of the tube than upon another, and while this did not appear to be serious, resulted in eventual rupture of the tube and the loss of its contents.

Another object of the invention is to replace the flattened projecting seal of the typical toothpaste tube with one which permits the tube to be more readily packed, and which has length less than the width of the filled tube.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seal of sufiicient strength and suflicient tightness to withstand cooking, for instance in the sausage industry where large sausages after sealing are cooked for extended periods of time.

The objects of the invention are accomplished, generally speaking, by a closure which is made by collapsing and pleating the portion of the tube that is to be sealed, putting over the pleated part a close-fitting circlet of flexible material, encircling the circlet with a metal band that leaves the end of the protective sleeve exposed, and riveting the assembled parts together through the pleat, preferably by means of a hollow rivet from which the tube may later be suspended.

In the accompanying drawings are shown closures corresponding to the teaching of the invention.

Fig. 1 is the front view of a closure embodying the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same closure.

Fig. 3 is a section through the closure in. an intermediate stage of application. Fig. 4 is a similarsection of the completed sure. I

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a preferred form of fastener.

Fig. 6 is a front view of a modified form of invention. a

Fig. '1' is a rear view thereof in use. p

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, i0 is the flattened and pleated end of a regenerated cellulose tube, this tube being selected as illustrative because such tubes are frequently used in the meat packing and pharmaceutical industries. In preparing the end of the tube as a closure, the tube is flattened and then pleated. When the sealing operation is being conducted by hand a flexible protective band II is snugly fitted over the end of the tube. This band may be a ring of regenerated cellulose or other flexible plastic material, or it may be a winding of sev-' eral turns of paper or cellophane, or the like. If it is regenerated cellulose or certain other plastics, it may be applied wet in certain instances and will shrink into close engagement with the pleated end of the tube when it dries. The thickness of the protective circlet or band will depend upon the service to which it is to be subjected and the strain which it must resist. A hole is now punched through band and pleated end and a novel fastener I2 is applied. This fastener includes a rivet l3 which is preferably hollow, from the bottom of which projects a flange M which is extended in two wings l5, N3 of sufficient length to be bent about a protecting band I! and to approach the shank of the rivet IS on the other side of the closure. As soon as the metal wings have thus been folded into snug engagement with the band, the rivet is headed upon the ends of the wings as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, completing the closure. The band I l is long enough to project well beyond all portions of the flange M, the wings l6 and I5 and the rivet head II. It is particularly important that the band ll shall extend beyond those parts toward the filled portion of the casing or tube.

The closure thus formed is tight and may be suspended by inserting a hook or pin through the hole in the hollow rivet. When thus suspended the weight of the filled tube is evenly distributed on all portions of the casing and ruptures thereof are vastly reduced.

In the form of the invention disclosed in Figs. 6 and '7, the pleated end ll) of the casing is encompassed by the protective sleeve l I, and a rivet the The invention is superior in strength and dura- V bility to other closures and produces a hermetical seal.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of the present invention may be' made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, except 7 as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A closure for flexible tubes including a flexible tube having a collapsed and pleated part with a hole extending through the pleats from side to side, a flexible sleeve about the pleats having registering holes, and a rivet extending through the holes in sleeve and pleats and having wings extending from one end about the sleeve and fastened beneath the head of the rivet.

2. A closure for flexible tubes including a flexible tube having a collapsed and pleated part with a hole extending through the pleats from side to side, a flexible sleeve about the pleats having registering holes, and a hollow rivet extending through the holes in sleeve and pleats and having wings extending from one end about the sleeve and fastened beneath the head of the rivet.

3. A closure for flexible tubes including a flexible tube having a pleated part, a protective sleeve about the pleats, and a hollow rivet extending through sleeve and pleats and having wings 4 extending from one end and fastened beneath the head of the rivet.

4. A closure for flexible tubes including a flexible tube having a collapsed end, a protective sleeve about said end, a metal band about the sleeve leaving the inward end of the sleeve exposed, and fastener means penetrating the sleeve and tube end and clamped upon the band.

5. A closure for flexible tubes including a flexible tube having a collapsed end, a protective sleeve about the said end, a clamp about the sleeve leaving the inward end of the sleeve exposed, and fastener means penetrating the sleeve and tube end and gripping the clamp.

6. A closure for flexible tubes including a flexible tube having a collapsed end, a protective sleeve encircling the end, rigid clamping means bearing on both sides of the sleeve substantially throughout the width of the tube end leaving the inward end of the sleeve exposed, and single rivet means penetrating the clamping means, sleeve, and tube end and holding the said parts under sealing compression.

JOSEPH J. FRANK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,070,222 Zeiler Aug. 12, 1913 1,474,876 Andrews Nov. 20, 1923 1,977,298 Baker Oct. 16, 1934 2,460,963 Young Feb. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 45,108 Holland Jan. 17, 1939 339,614 Great Britain Dec. 18, 1930 498,790 Great Britain Jan. 13, 1939 

